Steven Spielberg Says This Superhero Movie Deserved A Best Picture Oscar Nomination

It's difficult to come up with new superlatives when talking about Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, specifically "The Dark Knight." It's probably his most widely known and recognized film, due in large part to Heath Ledger's stellar performance as the Joker. It also made more than a billion dollars at the box office and has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, eventually snatching two of them (a posthumous Oscar for Ledger and one for Sound Editing).

Sadly, there wasn't a Best Picture among those nominations — the rule change at the Academy from five nominees to 10 came later in 2009. Since then, many have argued that "The Dark Knight" most definitely would have secured a nomination had the change been implemented prior. Among those who publicly said Nolan's film should've received a Best Picture nomination is none other than cinema legend Steven Spielberg himself.

In a 2023 interview with Deadline, Spielberg was asked about the Best Picture nominations of "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Avatar: The Way of Water," and he said, "The film that should have been nominated a number of years ago [is] Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight." That movie would have definitely garnered a Best Picture Nomination today [as now there are 10 nominees instead of five], so having these two blockbusters solidly presented on the top 10 list is something we should all be celebrating." Considering all the blockbusters that have gotten the honor of being nominated for Best Picture, it's hard to argue that "The Dark Knight" would've been at the top of that list had it received the nomination back in 2009.

Those words coming from Steven Spielberg for a film that's essentially a comic book adaptation are especially meaningful, given his outstanding track record with the Academy. Throughout his fruitful, six-plus-decade career, the filmmaker garnered 11 nominations for Best Picture with such iconic cultural tentpoles as "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," "Saving Private Ryan," or "Munich," eventually winning the golden statue for his masterpiece, "Schindler's List" — in addition to his two Best Director Oscars and one honorary award. Thus he probably knows better than anyone what it takes to make a film good enough to be on that list when the time comes.

"The Dark Knight" may not have been nominated for Best Film, but it had won numerous awards and became the epitome (and somewhat of a blueprint) of superhero movies as well as blockbusters. It put Batman as an artistic work and franchise on another level, strengthening its status as an immortal IP that's still going strong today (Matt Reeves' "The Batman: Part II" is already one of the most anticipated releases of 2028). Nolan's trilogy had probably done more for the popularity of the subgenre than most Marvel and DC films. In retrospect, that's likely more valuable than any nomination or award could ever be.